Mutual Secrecy
by Surreptitious Chi X
Summary: When Iruka helps an injured ANBU agent, he never expected that it would lead to anything more. **Stumbling Into Secrecy and Clandestine Interest, revised into a cohesive story and expanded** Iruka/Kakashi. Set when Iruka is 20. LIFE CRISIS HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1 - The Man in the Dog Mask

Legal Disclaimer: I am not a Japanese man. I didn't create Naruto and I'm not making money off of someone else's intellectual property.

Author's Note: This is a revision of the short stories Stumbling Into Secrecy and Clandestine Interest. I decided to go back and make this a proper story about Iruka and Kakashi. Neither name fit what I was going for so I chose a new name for this project.

* * *

**Mutual Secrecy**

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Chapter 1

The Man in the Dog Mask

* * *

At this point, Kakashi's mission was a blur. Had he been sent to gather information, assassinate Konoha's enemies, or start a fight that could be blamed on other nations? He'd done all three. But no matter what it was he'd been sent to do, he was pretty sure it had been a suicide mission. That part he was relatively sure about. And here he was, back in Konoha, alive. Talk about hollow victories.

Well, there was still time to die. Kakashi had made it into the village, but he didn't have the energy to teleport back to his apartment or to ANBU headquarters. Maybe he could croak in some wino's alley.

However, least conveniently of all, Kakashi discovered he didn't feel like dying.

Every step of the way, an annoying internal voice nagged Kakashi. _Well, if you didn't feel like dying, why'd you join ANBU?_

Maybe he'd joined ANBU to redeem himself. He hadn't stopped his father from killing himself, he hadn't stopped anyone on his team from dying, and he hadn't done anything to keep Minato's son from suffering. So far, he'd been useless to the village in any way that mattered. He was 24 years old and still a burden on Sandaime.

Kakashi breathed raggedly, one hand on his fractured ribs. He stumbled down the alley, trying to get to ANBU headquarters, but his vision was blurry and he was too exhausted to tell where he was in the village. Someplace with tall buildings and billboards. That was helpful. That was ninety percent of Konoha.

The annoying voice came back. _If you stopped agreeing to solo missions, this wouldn't happen anymore. No one is making you agree._

His mask was broken, his lip was bloody, and he felt pretty sure that if anyone saw him, they'd have a heart attack. His sharingan eye was exposed, along with the scar, and there was blood in his hair that wasn't his.

_Well, thank god some of this blood isn't yours,_ the annoying voice said.

His legs were about ready to give out, too, which was inconvenient.

Amazingly, he saw a building ahead that might be one of the ANBU patrol stations for the village. He thought it was. Five stories tall, blue, and mostly constructed in a sane perpendicular to the ground. It had a conical roof, like Sandaime's hat.

Kakashi passed out on the front step hoping he was right.

**xXx**

Iruka left the Friday night teacher's get-together at the local bar before he could get smashed. Most of the teachers wanted to get smashed. Iruka didn't begrudge them that. Dealing with ninja kids was tough. But he preferred to be able to walk home under his own power, and not singing out of key.

He was 20 years old and going nowhere fast. It wasn't that he hated being a teacher. He'd always gotten along well with children, often being the 'nii-san' among the neighborhood ninja kids long before he'd reached adulthood. After he'd lost his parents, his status among the other kids had caused a lot of trouble, since their beloved 'nii-san' was now a hellion. If not for Sandaime's attention, Iruka would never have applied to become a teacher. But that was the problem. He hadn't chosen this life for himself. As inspiring as Sandaime's trust in him had been, as great as it was to hear he had a Will of Fire worth passing on, the confidence didn't come from inside.

_In short, you're really walking away from the Friday festivities because you don't feel like you have the right to be there,_ a voice nagged Iruka from inside. _You don't feel like a 'real' teacher and you don't think you're 'really' one of them. Who are you, then? Where do you really belong if not there?_

Iruka pushed the voice away and concentrated on his altered state of mind. Mildly buzzed, the village took on an interesting appearance. The buildings reaching for the sky, piled up and up and up, seemed new to him, and the crooked drainage pipes and power lines patched in seemed humorous.

He was so consumed with taking in that sight that he almost stepped on someone. Iruka drew back his foot with a yelp, glad all over again that he hadn't imbibed too much. He would have fallen over.

A man was curled up on the front step of Iruka's apartment building. He looked like he was asleep, except for the obvious injuries covering his body. Moreover, he was dressed in ANBU gear, and ANBU did not randomly sleep on doorsteps. This man had been attacked.

Iruka felt cold. _Is there a threat loose in the village?_ A flashback of the village burning as the Kyuubi ripped through it shook through him.

_This is only one ANBU agent,_ he reminded himself. _Hardly indicative of a mass invasion that has wiped all of our forces out. For all you know, he's returning from some ill-fated mission and just happened to collapse before he could report. __A solo mission? Did ANBU do that?_

_Well, maybe he lives here_. That raised the intriguing question: _Do I share an apartment building with an ANBU agent?_

Iruka supposed people must. ANBU had to live somewhere. And since they were supposed to blend in, why not share quarters with normal people like him?

He found himself kneeling and taking the man's pulse. The ANBU agent was out cold. The pulse was steady, though, so Iruka didn't need to grab him and run to the hospital. _But what knocked you out? Chakra exhaustion? _

Iruka sighed and investigated further, knowing that he couldn't just leave the man here. Spongy ribs, fractured or broken. Twisted, swollen ankle. Shallow cut on left leg.

He didn't bother trying to identify the man. He could be court marshaled for that, since no one was supposed to know an ANBU's identity, and anyway, this man had his identity pretty well hidden. A mask over his face to compensate for the broken ANBU mask, blood matted in his hair to the point that its color was obscured. The only telltale mark was the scar over one eye and partway down the cheek, but that could be fake. ANBU were supposedly masters of disguise.

_Now what do I do with you?_ Iruka straightened and planted his hands on his hips, thinking. The street around them was deserted. Everyone was either at home or in a bar somewhere at this time of night. Provided they weren't on a night shift, in which case they'd be patrolling or at a guard station.

Iruka didn't know if ANBU went to the hospital. He didn't know anything about the way ANBU worked, which he knew was a purposeful withdrawal of information. So he could either risk taking this man to the hospital, which might be the wrong thing, or he could carry the man up to his apartment, which might be seen as...what? Kidnapping? How could a lowly teacher like him kidnap an ANBU agent?

Having had fractured ribs once before in his life, Iruka knew the extent of the care the hospital would give was painkillers. He had painkillers in his apartment. What ninja didn't?

He could carry the man upstairs, administer pain relief, bandage the leg, and probably just wait for ANBU to pick up their own.

That decided, Iruka knelt down and carefully lifted the man up. He was fragile in this state, and felt small, even though he wasn't. He was an inch taller than Iruka, and Iruka was 5'8", taller than the average by two inches.

Iruka sighed to himself and carried the man inside the door to the apartment, using the security pad to punch in the code to unlock the door and the handicapped button to make the door open and shut by itself.

Once that was done, he uncharacteristically took the elevator, not wanting to subject this man to being carried up three flights of stairs. Luckily, the elevator was deserted. Iruka thought the sharp ping of arriving on the third floor might wake the man, but it didn't.

Iruka carried the ANBU down the hall to his room, 303. He stopped to fish out his keys, which was awkward with the man in his arms, and unlocked the door after a moment of fumbling. Then he stepped inside and shut the door behind them.

The man moaned.

Iruka thought it was ironic that the elevator didn't wake the man up, but the small sound of a door closing was enough to make him stir. Or perhaps the man would have started coming out of it at this point anyway.

Either way, Iruka went through with his plan, carrying the man over to the sofa and laying him on his back, then crossing through the apartment to the master bathroom and retrieving the pain medication. Iruka passed through the living room to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. Finally, he came back, bottle in one hand and water in the other. He knelt beside the sofa.

The flaw in his plan presented itself: the man's mask.

Iruka grimaced and gingerly worked the mask down. The man stirred, shaking his head, but weakly. Iruka didn't know if it was better to speak or stay silent, so he didn't say anything. He just pressed the rim of the glass to the man's lips and tipped slowly, allowing a trickle of water to touch the man's lips.

The ANBU agent willingly drank.

Iruka let out his breath and administered two pills of prescription strength painkillers, left over from dislocating his shoulder last month during a class. He'd been more or less tricked into slamming against a wall, which he had to admit was clever, but he was less than enthusiastic about the results.

The man swallowed the pills and drank the rest of the water, then shifted sluggishly. "Doctor, I need to report. Contact –"

"I'm not a doctor," Iruka said, afraid the man might spill something confidential. That could possibly cost Iruka his life.

That response seemed to startle the man. His good eye flickered open and looked around Iruka's apartment aimlessly, unfocused. Finally, his gaze rested on Iruka. "Where...am I?"

"In my apartment," Iruka said. "I'm a resident of the apartment building. A teacher. Name is Umino Iruka, ninja identification number 1458357."

"Teacher," the man mumbled in disbelief. "Iruka-sensei? Umino-sensei?"

"I only turned twenty this year," Iruka said. "I prefer Iruka-sensei." _Another sign you don't think of yourself like a real teacher,_ the voice in the back of his head said. He shushed it.

The man nodded and then fell silent, limp against the sofa.

Iruka wondered if he had passed out.

Eventually, the man said, "Dizzy."

"I gave you a couple of pain pills left over from when I dislocated my shoulder, sir," Iruka said. "You have cracked or fractured ribs." He added, "Oxycontin."

"Explains...why I can breathe."

"Yes."

Iruka waited, but there was no more.

A couple hours later, two ANBU, one in a crow mask and another in the mask of a dragon, came to the door. Iruka was not at all surprised. He bowed and let them in. "I didn't know whether I should take him to the hospital or not."

"You were wise," Crow said. He sounded calm, but then, all ANBU were trained to sound that way. "We have our own facilities."

"Where did you find him?" Dragon asked.

"On the front doorstep of my apartment building. I was coming home. That was 2300 hours," Iruka said.

The man in the dragon mask nodded and collected the fallen ANBU from the sofa.

"He's unconscious," Iruka said. "I gave him painkillers for his ribs. Left over from a shoulder injury I had a month ago."

"Hmm." Dragon nodded. He carried the man Iruka had rescued to the door, and he and his partner teleported out.

Iruka didn't expect he'd ever hear why an ANBU collapsed on the doorstep of his apartment, or what the mission was, or who the man was. That was the way of living in a ninja village. One just didn't find these things out.

Still, Iruka was relieved that he had taken the man to his apartment. In any case, ANBU authorities did not seem to be angry with him. And briefly being involved in something more important than settling a child's dispute on the playground felt good.

As Iruka got ready for bed, his thoughts turned to the ANBU agent he'd helped. He hoped the man got home all right and wasn't stuck in a private hospital for too long. He hoped the man had somewhere nice to go back to, maybe a girlfriend or a boyfriend and a dog. His mask had been a dog design. Maybe that meant something personal. There was a rumor that ANBU agents were allowed to choose their masks.

But then again, Iruka reminded himself that he would never know. This was just one more secret event in a hidden village.

xXx

Next Friday night, after school, after homework was graded and filed away, all the teachers met at their local hangout for drinks again. Iruka had to admit that the world had felt different all week. He was questioning himself, and his surroundings, and he wasn't sure why.

If his coworkers noticed, they were too polite to say.

"Hey, stop sulking or whatever and have a few," Genma said.

Alright, so everyone but Genma was too polite to say anything. Iruka sighed and sipped his beer slowly. "No, I'm not going to have a drinking contest with you."

A round of groans went up.

Genma slumped back in his chair. "Loosen up, Iruka-'sensei'. It's Friday."

"For your information, last Friday I had to help a man passed out on my doorstep," Iruka said. "So I have a very good excuse for not wanting to be stone cold drunk this evening."

Genma snickered. "What, is he going to do it again?"

Iruka colored.

"Who is this guy, anyway, who passed out on your doorstep?" Mizuki asked.

"I don't know," Iruka said.

"Ooh, Ruka." Genma whistled.

Hayate elbowed him. "Knock it off. That's not nice. Iruka-kun was being a good citizen, and you're making fun of him."

Genma raised his hands. "Hey, hey. It's good natured teasing among friends. I didn't mean anything by it."

Iruka sighed and slumped in relief. Hayate was one of the only people who could rein Genma in.

A hand clapped down on his shoulder and his head snapped up in surprise.

Hatake Kakashi smiled down at him.

Iruka stared, unable to help it. He'd only seen Kakashi a few times around the village since they were both children. As an adult, Kakashi was whippet-thin and imposing, all muscle and sinew. As usual, one eye was covered by the jauntily tied hitai-ate, and a mask came up over Kakashi's nose, covering the lower half of Kakashi's face. Only the telltale crinkle at the corner of Kakashi's eye revealed the smile.

"Kakashi-kun, hey," Genma said, unfazed. "I thought you hated these get-together things."

Iruka remembered that Genma had grown up with Kakashi. Team Minato and Team Kiroku had been rivals, albeit of the friendly sort. Minato, future Hokage, had led Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. Kiroku, one of Minato's friends from his academy days, had led Genma, Ebisu, and Gai.

"Maa, what gave you that idea?" Kakashi asked. "I'm working Fridays, that's all."

"This doesn't look like work," Genma pointed out.

Kakashi grinned, the fabric of his mask stetching with the motion, revealing a vague outline of his mouth. "I'm off on sick leave."

"You don't look sick," Ebisu said. From his sour tone, Iruka guessed that Ebisu thought Kakashi was malingering. He had no idea why Ebisu would jump to conclusions, but then, he didn't know Kakashi like Ebisu did.

"Ah, but I've been grievously injured in the line of duty," Kakashi declared. He had the audacity to wink at Iruka. "Cracked ribs. Some good citizen found me on my deathbed and took me to the hospital."

Iruka flashed cold with disbelief. _It can't be. _His inner voice kicked in. _Anyway, that's not what happened._ He fought himself. _If that's not what happened, why is he winking at me? He doesn't even know me._ The hand on his shoulder grew steadily warmer. Iruka found himself thoroughly embarrassed.

"You seemed like you were having an interesting conversation," Kakashi said. "What about?"

Ebisu ate a piece of tempura and washed it down with beer. "Iruka-kun was telling us how he'd helped an injured man last Friday."

"An injured anonymous man," Genma said, grinning.

Iruka wondered sometimes if Genma knew he was gay. He'd been trying to protect that secret since he was thirteen, praying no one would find it out and give him hell over it. One of the only times he'd been glad his parents were dead was when he figured out he was gay. Since they were dead, he didn't have to tell them.

"Friday?" Kakashi said in monotone disbelief.

"Yes," Ebisu said.

Kakashi blinked. "What a coincidence...I was injured last Friday, too."

Those words sank straight to the bottom of Iruka's stomach. _He's obviously trying to tell me that was him. Why? To thank me?_ He hadn't done anything remarkable. He didn't want or deserve the thanks. And wasn't Kakashi risking a lot by declassifying himself?

"Sure you were," Ebisu said. He didn't seem impressed.

"I was saving a kitten from a tree when I was attacked by ninjas from Kirigakure," Kakashi said in exactly the same level tone. Kakashi took the empty seat next to Iruka and helped himself to a drink from the pitcher of beer, using one of the two extra glasses. "Expecting company?"

Iruka started to answer, then noticed Kakashi drinking through his mask, without getting the mask wet. He stared for a few long moments before shaking sense into himself. _It's an illusion. Kakashi is a master of genjutsu. _

Genma shrugged. "Usually a couple more guys show up."

"Izumo-kun and Kotetsu-kun had other arrangements tonight," Hayate said.

"Ah, right. Those guys." Kakashi took another drink of beer and looked at Iruka. "Aren't they your friends, Iruka-sensei?"

Ebisu snorted. "Sensei? Why did you call him 'sensei'?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's nice to have someone to be respectful to."

Iruka blushed. "N-Now, Hatake-san, wait a minute..."

Kakashi sighed and put on a morose face. "'Hatake-san'. How formal."

"You want to call him sensei, but him calling you '-san' is too formal?" Genma asked.

Iruka squirmed. "I wasn't being formal enough."

"Not formal enough?" Kakashi echoed.

"You outrank me, and we don't know each other very well," Iruka said. "I should have called you Hatake-sensei. I'm sorry."

"Hatake-sensei?" Kakashi stared at him. "Maa…I don't know about that. Are you usually so retiring?"

"That's the way our Iruka-kun is," Genma agreed, downing the last of he beer in his glass. "After he finished going through his rebellious phase he turned out like this. Disappointing, isn't it?"

Iruka scowled. "On the other hand, some people never got over their rebellious phase. Disappointing, isn't it?"

Genma laughed.

Ebisu gave him a refill. It was customary to refill a friend's drink for them.

Genma took the pitcher and refilled Ebisu's glass in return, though Ebisu had only finished half of what had been there to begin with.

"I suppose I should call you Umino-sensei," Kakashi said finally.

"Iruka," Iruka corrected.

Kakashi grinned.

Iruka did not like that grin. It spoke of mischief.

"Well, if you want to be called Iruka-sensei, you'll have to call me Kakashi," Kakashi said, draping an arm around Iruka's shoulders.

Iruka felt a flush break out all over his body at the casual intimacy. What had he done by helping Kakashi? He tried to think if he had seen Kakashi invading other people's personal space before. "What sense does that make?"

"You're the teacher, sensei," Kakashi said. "I'm one of those people who never got over their rebellious phase. You're a good, responsible shinobi. I should be paying you respect."

Iruka blushed. "N-No…" _But you're in ANBU. You're doing a far more valuable service to the village than I could ever dream of. I could never do what you do_. "I'm sure…Everyone respects you…"

"Well, everyone should respect you more," Kakashi said. "The youth are our future. You're doing more for them than I am."

"Stop that," Hayate said, without any real heat. "You're going to make him blush worse."

Kakashi rubbed his chin, examining Iruka with interest. "Maa, you are blushing, aren't you? Is this normal?"

"Normal for Iruka-'sensei'," Genma said.

"Hmm." Kakashi kept studying Iruka's face. "It's almost like you have a guilty conscience." He poked Iruka's cheek. "But you couldn't, could you? After all, you're passing on your wholesome ideals to Konoha's youth."

Iruka was horrified. _And if anyone finds out I'm gay, I'll lose my job. The parents will be furious._ He wouldn't actually be barred from service as a shinobi, but he wouldn't be allowed to be a teacher anymore. The parents of Konoha would demand that he be removed and not even Sandaime's mercy could save him from that. And here was Kakashi, an elite genius, an ANBU agent, studying him. Kakashi had to be some kind of A-type man's man. If Kakashi figured out he was gay, and there was no reason to suppose Kakashi's wouldn't figure it out, then Iruka was definitely getting fired.

This felt like revenge for thinking last week he didn't know if he really wanted to be a teacher.

"What's the matter?" Kakashi asked. "You've gone all silent."

Iruka prepared himself to be humiliated. Maybe not in front of his friends, but he would be humiliated. Of that he was certain.

"Iruka gets red when he's had too much to drink," Genma spoke up, unexpectedly coming to his rescue.

Kakashi chuckled. "Is that right? Gai-kun turns bright red. That's why he won't drink. He won't suffer the indignity."

"What about you?" Iruka asked. "What color do you turn?" _Oh my god, why did I say that?_

"You'll never know," Kakashi said casually.

Iruka eyed Kakashi's mask. It did a pretty thorough job of covering Kakashi's face. _Does he take it off for undercover missions?_ He mentally slapped himself. _Don't go there._

But Kakashi's arm was still around his shoulders, and he had drunk enough to be mildly buzzed. Besides, knowing Kakashi was that injured man last Friday stirred up his protective impulses. Silly, but Iruka couldn't help it. He'd become a ninja to protect people.

Worse...People with a hint of vulnerability were just his type. Not people who needed saving all the time. People who were strong, but had that one vulnerable moment where he could step in and offer his services. And Kakashi had done just that.

He'd spent all week fantasizing about the mystery man and telling himself not to. Kakashi introducing himself as that man seemed like fate.

Except for the fact that it was Kakashi, of course. Kakashi, the A-type man's man who was apparently determined to invade his space and discover his secrets.

"Should you be drinking?" Ebisu asked suddenly as Kakashi finished his glass of beer. "If your ribs are fractured, you would have been prescribed medication to manage your pain."

Kakashi gave him a lazy look. "Medication is more fun with alcohol in the mix."

Iruka snorted. "Unless you overdose on it and need to go back to the hospital."

"No need to worry, I'll be careful," Kakashi said.

Iruka looked at him suspiciously.

Kakashi grinned. "Anyway, if I happen to need a little help, it's good to know I can rely on you, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka put on a scowl. "I'm less inclined to take care of people who purposefully put themselves in danger."

"How cruel."

Eventually, the pitcher of beer was drained, Kakashi putting more of an effort in than Iruka, and everyone said their goodnights.


	2. Chapter 2 - Underneath the Underneath

**Chapter 2**

Underneath the Underneath

* * *

Iruka walked home as usual, crossing over the doorstep to the apartment building where Kakashi had fallen last Friday with a pang.

Still, he didn't pause or mope about it. The single thought merely crossed his mind, _Why couldn't you have been someone else?_ The mystery had been more enticing than the reality. Kakashi was not the quiet, sensitive person Iruka had conveniently imagined when fantasizing about his tall, delicate stranger in the broken dog mask.

But that was the way of reality, wasn't it?

Iruka thought sometimes he was too much of an idealist to be in a relationship with anybody.

He opened the door to his apartment, slipped off his sandals in exchange for putting on house shoes, and closed his door. A tangible barrier between him and the outside world. He sighed with relief. Here, he could be alone. He loved his friends, but they were so rowdy that his head buzzed by the time the get-together was over. _Not to mention, Hatake Kakashi crashed the party_.

He walked into the living room to flop down on his sofa and stopped short. Hatake Kakashi sat on his sofa.

Kakashi raised a hand. "Yo."

Iruka stared. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"I know the way," Kakashi said.

Even as Iruka continued to stare, Kakashi slumped down on the sofa further, stretching himself out until there was no room for Iruka, even if Iruka had wanted to sit down there. "Comfortable sofa. I like it. An injured man could get a good night's sleep here." And there was that wink again. "A pity I only got a few hours. The hospital was much less comfortable."

Iruka felt the heat of a flush erupt across his cheeks. His hands clenched at his sides by their own accord. "You're declassifying a top secret incident? You're breaking the rules!"

Kakashi let out a deep, resonant chuckle. "You sound like Ebisu."

The genuine tone of Kakashi's amusement stopped Iruka mid-rant and deflated him. "But – But Ebisu-san has a point. Sometimes. I can't just – We can't – We shouldn't be talking." _If we keep talking, you'll discover my secret, I'll lose my job, I'll disappoint Sandaime –_

Kakashi tilted his head. "What? Shouldn't be talking? Two ninjas can't have a conversation on their own time, at the end of the day, after work is done?"

"You know what I mean. We shouldn't be talking like this." Iruka gestured to him. "That incident was classified."

Kakashi's mask creased with a smile. "You like rules, don't you? Makes me wonder what would happen if you broke them."

Iruka didn't like the sound of that. He thought about running. At the very least, backing up and inching out of his apartment to get help. Kakashi was a wild card. Everybody knew that. Geniuses were unpredictable, and the Copy Ninja was no exception. His heart pounded. Worst of all, his brain wanted to interpret what Kakashi said as flirting, and it couldn't be. "Why are you here?"

Kakashi sat up, swinging his lanky legs over the side of the couch and sitting like a normal guest. "I like you." He beamed.

Iruka stared, and he felt his shoulders slump. Then his brain kicked in: _I have a guest!__ It was the perfect defense mechanism to hide behind._ He bowed hastily. "I'm so sorry. You're a guest in my home and I'm being rude. Would you like a drink? I could make tea. I also have bottled water. The water from the tap isn't any good to drink."

"If you insist," Kakashi said. "Tea would be nice."

Iruka busied himself with boiling water and getting out two cups and two tea balls and his can of tea leaves. _No matter how eccentric Kakashi is, I can't be rude. Besides, he's an ANBU agent. He performs a special service for this village. __He was conscious that he was telling himself this to preserve his sanity._ Having sorted that out in his head, he felt calmer.

"Kakashi-san, tea is ready," he announced, bringing the tray into the living room and setting it down on the kotatsu table in front of the sofa.

They both sat at the kotatsu table.

"Ah, my thanks." Kakashi allowed Iruka to hand him his tea.

Iruka cradled his tea cup in both hands, enjoying the heat. "How are your ribs?"

"I thought we couldn't talk about that," Kakashi said.

"I have no idea how your ribs got fractured."

That brought a snort and a chuckle from Kakashi. "Fine, thanks."

"Is it really true that you're off work?" Iruka asked. He'd heard nightmarish rumors about ANBU being forced to go on active duty, even if they were injured.

"For a month," Kakashi said with a tone of satisfaction.

Iruka was relieved. He took a sip of his tea. It was almost too hot to drink, which was just the way he liked it. "You might need more like six weeks, but at least you have some time to recover."

"If I'm not healed in a month, I'll go back to the doctor and get re-evaluated," Kakashi said. "I'm a valuable resource. They're not going to risk endangering me unnecessarily." Again, he winked. This time, it was seemingly to take the edge off his bragging, to show it was all in good fun.

"You are valuable," Iruka found himself insisting.

Kakashi shrugged. "No more than any other ninja of my rank."

"Yes, you are. No one can do what you do," Iruka said.

Kakashi looked away.

Iruka wondered if he'd said something wrong. "But more than that, Sandaime's Will of Fire is that every ninja is equally important. It's not that having multiple people of the same rank makes you less special. Being as special as everyone else means no one is allowed to treat you lightly. You matter."

Kakashi looked at him with surprise for a split second, then smiled. "By your own logic, Iruka-sensei, you matter, too."

Iruka blushed and fidgeted. "That isn't what I meant…"

Kakashi held up an index finger. "But it's what you said." He took a sip of tea. "I think you're too serious."

"Too serious?" Iruka protested. "What is too serious? We live in a serious world. We have serious responsibilities."

"But, I think there's more to you than that." Kakashi assessed him with a direct gaze that lingered long enough to be considered rude.

Iruka looked at Kakashi in return, wide-eyed. _Can he see inside me? Can he see right through me to everything I've ever thought or felt? _He pushed away the idea with a sense of uneasiness. _Of course not. No one has that kind of power. __Except the sharingan eye was rumored to have powers exactly like that. "We became shinobi so that we could take on additional responsibilities."_

_"We became shinobi because our parents were shinobi," Kakashi corrected._

_Iruka sipped his tea so that he didn't have to come up with a response right away. "What would you be if you weren't a shinobi?" he asked finally._

_Kakashi shook his head. "Nothing."_

_"Nothing?"_

_"We can't choose our parents, our parents were shinobi, so if I weren't the child of a shinobi, which is a natural result of being born, then I would be nothing, because I wouldn't have been born," Kakashi said. _

_"You mean…we are shinobi, and we have to make the best of it," Iruka said. _

_"Maa…maybe." And then Kakashi was smiling impishly at him. "But maybe I'm only yanking your chain, because I think you're interesting and I decided to invite myself into your apartment in order to know my savior better."_

_"No, you're one of Konoha's great saviors," Iruka said reflexively. "You're far more powerful than I am."_

"Your power isn't in your jutsu. It's in your heart," Kakashi said.

Iruka almost fell over. He felt the wave of crimson heat flash through him. "What kind of announcement is that?"

"If everyone cared about people as much as you did, we would be a stronger village," Kakashi said. "Possibly the strongest village in the entire world. No one could tear us down or destroy us. We'd stand together with too much solidarity."

"You make me sound like a saint," Iruka said. "I assure you I've got flaws."

"We all have flaws," Kakashi said. "You didn't let yours eat you." He sighed. "I'm in the process of being devoured by mine."

"I think you're being overdramatic," Iruka said.

"How so?" Kakashi was suddenly deadly serious.

"You don't seem in the least like a man being eaten by his flaws," Iruka said in his bluntest don't-argue-with-me-I'm-your-teacher voice.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Kakashi said. "Have you ever stared into what's underneath the underneath?"

Iruka was aware of the phrase 'underneath the underneath'. It was standard shinobi jargon. "In the mirror I have. Underneath my exterior as a teacher is a warrior ready to die for his village. Underneath that is a child who still misses his parents and doesn't know what to do without them." He didn't know why he said that, except Kakashi was so blunt that it was inspiring.

"Really? I don't see someone who doesn't know what to do," Kakashi said.

Iruka sipped his tea. "Really? Because I don't know what to do about anything. For instance, I don't know what to do about you."

"You saved me, when you didn't have to."

Iruka stared at him. "Yes, I did. How can you suggest that a loyal shinobi of Konoha can ignore their civic duty?"

"Your civic duty was to guard me and wait for ANBU to arrive. You didn't have to bring me to your apartment and make me comfortable."

Iruka couldn't help but squirm at the idea. "But I couldn't leave you there. A cold, hard doorstep is no place for an injured person. You needed to be warm and comfortable."

"I would have survived either way," Kakashi said. "People don't need to be warm and comfortable. People merely enjoy being warm and comfortable."

"It would have been heartless to not try to do something to help you," Iruka said sharply.

"You remind me of my sensei," Kakashi said. "You're a good man."

Iruka was too stunned at this to say anything. He bowed his head. _I remind you of Yondaime Hokage? _He didn't think he was anything like Kakashi's teacher. No one could measure up to the mark Minato had left. "N…No…"

"You're not a good man?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm not like Yondaime," Iruka said.

"Yondaime didn't think he was like Yondaime, either," Kakashi said. "It's called humility."

Iruka flushed. "You're going to twist my words no matter what I say." _Just like you can come into my apartment whenever you want._ He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. _Should I be terrified of you? But – But we're on the same side._

The voice in the back of his head said, _Except you're gay and Kakashi isn't_.

"Maa, how cruel," Kakashi complained. "I want to get to know you better, that's all. So far I've learned that you're a teacher, your co-workers like you, you're too polite to throw me out of your apartment, and you go above the call of duty for injured people, even though you're not a med nin."

A different part of Iruka suddenly realized Kakashi was having a typical reaction to being 'saved': seeing Iruka as a sort of perfect being. _Hero worship? From Hatake Kakashi?_ Then he thought, _But why not? Everyone who was close to Kakashi died. He must be very lonely. And I broke through his isolation in a time of need_.

"I'd like to get to know you better, too," Iruka said, hoping that was a neutral response. He stood. "Would you like more tea?"

Kakashi stood as well.

Iruka noticed they were standing closer together than was polite. Kakashi was way inside his personal space.

Before Iruka could figure out what to do about it, Kakashi leaned in and kissed him. Despite the fabric of the mask, Iruka also felt hidden lips seeking his own. He pressed into the kiss in spite of himself, mouthing Kakashi's lips in return. They were so warm and soft and confident.

When the kiss ended, and they both straightened, Kakashi whispered, "I like you."

Iruka hoped he was the only one who could hear his heart pounding. "You…You mean…?"

Kakashi kissed him again.

"But –"

Kakashi kissed him again. And again, when he tried to speak up a third time.

Iruka's legs were shaking and he had a full body tingling reaction that told him it'd been far too long since he'd taken care of himself. He'd fallen into a rut of teaching, grading, spending time after school chaperoning clubs and field trips, volunteering to cover other teachers' classes, eating meals whenever he could, hanging out with the other teachers on Friday nights, and otherwise doing chores, squeezing in quick showers, and then sleeping as much as possible. Every time he'd thought about taking the edge off his sexual tension, he'd rolled over, gone to sleep, and told himself, _Maybe tomorrow. It's not like it's urgent_.

His brain tried to make sense of what was happening to him. "You're gay?" he blurted.

"Maybe," Kakashi said. He seemed completely self-assured. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Iruka's waist. Iruka could feel that Kakashi was hard, too. It wasn't just Iruka. Iruka's chest tightened so much that he could barely breathe. Kakashi kissed Iruka again, teasing Iruka's lips through the fabric of the mask. Iruka closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. Then warm lips were suddenly mouthing his. Kakashi had taken advantage of his reaction to pull down the mask. A moan escaped Iruka's lips involuntarily, and suddenly Kakashi's tongue was in his mouth, caressing and exploring.

Iruka felt as if his legs were going to fold.

Kakashi's hands slid down to his ass.

Iruka's cheeks flamed as the kiss continued. Kakashi's long-fingered hands were gently squeezing and massaging Iruka's ass, slowly and calmly. Iruka's erection throbbed and suddenly felt trapped in his underwear, restrained by it.

Kakashi slowly walked Iruka backwards. They ended up on Iruka's sofa. Kakashi was on top of him, and the kissing continued, only now Kakashi has holding Iruka's hands. The gesture seemed sweet. Iruka moaned, and his hips shifted, rubbing their clothed erections together. Kakashi moaned as well and rubbed against Iruka, squeezing Iruka's hands.

Iruka clung to Kakashi's hands in return, tightly.

Kakashi's tongue withdrew, and then Kakashi's mouth was on his neck, exploring in every conceivable way: kissing, licking, mouthing, sucking.

Iruka's hips trembled. He didn't know how much more of this he could stand. His nipples were hard and sensitive and he could feel the soft spandex fabric of his bodysuit against them.

Kakashi pinned Iruka's hands over his head and rocked his hips against Iruka's, moaning deeply.

Iruka moaned, then cried out, then came, wetness soaking the front of his boxers in waves. Kakashi let out a deep, sharp moan against his neck and collapsed on top of him, coming as well. Then Kakashi nuzzled Iruka's neck and let go of Iruka's hands in order to hug him tightly.

There was such vulnerability in the way Kakashi clung to him that Iruka found himself stroking Kakashi's back and whispering, "It's alright. It's alright."

"I didn't know I was going to do that," Kakashi mumbled. "But when you didn't shove me away…"

"Our needs exploded from holding them in too long," Iruka murmured. "And I think we've both been very lonely."

"I do like you," Kakashi said. "It's not just my needs exploding."

It was like the man with the broken ribs had been delivered back onto Iruka's doorstep. The vulnerability, the rawness, it was suddenly there. Iruka knew in this instant he had seen something real, sensed something real. The other Hatake Kakashi, the one from the bar, that one was the mask. _I've seen underneath the underneath, and it's you_. Iruka stroked Kakashi's hair. "I like you, too. Will you stay long enough to take a shower?"

Kakashi chuckled. "So pragmatic. Just like last week."

"I'm a teacher," Iruka said as if that explained everything.

Kakashi helped Iruka up. They showered one at a time and Iruka lent Kakashi some of his clothes. They weren't that different in height or build. Then they sat back down on the sofa, holding hands.

"What do we do?" Kakashi asked, staring at their joined hands.

"About?" Iruka prompted.

"Consequences."

"Why, because you're in ANBU and I'm a gay Academy instructor?" Iruka asked.

"Maa…I hadn't thought about your position yet, but I suppose you're in as much danger as I am," Kakashi said. He glanced at Iruka thoughtfully. "You can't let your secret get out because you'd be fired."

"Quickly," Iruka agreed.

Kakashi's expression revealed that he'd come to a decision before he even spoke. "Let's guard each other's secrets. We can swear to mutual secrecy. And whenever I'm back in Konoha, we can do this."

"Dry hump on my couch?" Iruka asked wryly.

Kakashi laughed. "You are blunt, aren't you?" He ran his fingers over Iruka's cheek. "Yes, sensei, we can do that every single time, but I'm hoping you want more variety."

Iruka tried to figure out how to ask what he really wanted to know, since Kakashi's answer hadn't revealed it. The touch to his face felt good, and Kakashi's hand was gentle. "I really want to know…if you'll…if you'll be…"

Kakashi leapt up and let go of Iruka's hand. "I've got to go. See you next Friday." He made hand seals and teleported out with a whirl of leaves.

Iruka stared at the leaves on his living room floor. _That's what I thought. Hatake Kakashi is as much of a commitment-phobe as all the other shinobi in Konoha._ Then: _Damn it, who does he expect to sweep this up? _

He stood, sighed, and got the broom from the kitchen supply closet. He swept up the leaves and headed towards the kitchen garbage can under the sink, but then he changed his mind. He opened the window and let the leaves fall down to the street.


	3. Chapter 3 - Cat

**Chapter 3**

**Cat**

* * *

The next evening when Iruka got back from grading papers and eating at Ichiraku, he opened the locked door of his apartment with his key and let himself in, only to find someone standing in his foyer. This someone was a man in full ANBU gear, sans black cloak. He wore a feline-themed mask.

Iruka closed the door behind him with numb fingers. "May I help you?" It took all of Iruka's self-control and confidence as a ninja not to stammer. The first thought that shot through his head is, Kakashi is dead and this man has been sent to tell me.

"I want to know why Sempai visited you." The voice was younger-sounding than Iruka had expected. The ANBU gear and the mask obscured a lot. "Regardless of what Sempai thinks, he's not so stealthy that I can't follow him."

Iruka froze. _Shit._ It had only been a day and they had already been found out. This was bad. Somehow or other, the smartass-teacher part of Iruka kicked in. "If your Sempai had meant for you to know he would have told you. Is it really all right for you to follow your Sempai without permission?"

The young man in the cat mask seemed taken aback. His shoulders slumped, and he seemed much less confident than he had been when Iruka opened the door. "No…wait…"

Iruka crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm waiting. What have you got to say for yourself? How do you think your Sempai will react to know that you've been following him around?"

"Please don't tell Sempai I've been following him," Cat blurted.

Satisfied he had turned the tables, Iruka inwardly relaxed. "Give me a good reason. ANBU are not supposed to break into people's homes without reason."

"I have a reason," Cat protested. "Sempai came here. I wanted to know why."

"Your Sempai ordered me not to disclose that information," Iruka said, feeling satisfied with himself. "If you want to know why he came here, you'll have to ask him yourself."

Cat was gone in a flash. He moved so quickly Iruka didn't even see which jutsu the ANBU agent used. The experience would have been chilling if not for the hilarity that he had chased an ANBU agent out of his apartment by teachering the man to death.

Iruka weighed whether or not to tell Kakashi about this encounter when they met again this upcoming Friday. Cat had begged him not to. He hadn't agreed to keep Cat's behavior a secret…but then he didn't know much about ANBU and it was entirely possible they were so strict it could ruin Cat's career if this act went on the record. Iruka decided to keep silent unless Cat harassed him.

**xXx**

The next day was Sunday, Iruka's much-needed day off. He slept in, shuffled around his apartment in his pajamas, and did whatever chores he could bring himself to do. He ate out so often he didn't have many dishes to wash, but he did have laundry to do. Like many people in Konoha, he washed them by hand and then hung them on a clothesline outside his window. Once he'd convinced himself to do that, he retreated back to bed and read a book and pretended Monday would never come.

So of course there was a knock on his door.

Iruka groaned and got up and pulled on a pair of jeans shorts and a t-shirt, not wanting to get caught in his pajamas at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Through the peephole in his front door he saw Mizuki. He steeled himself and opened the door. "Good afternoon, Mizuki-kun. What's up?"

"I thought I'd drop by and see how you are," Mizuki said.

"How I am?" Iruka was puzzled.

"Yes. Hatake-san was bothering you on Friday and on Saturday you seemed…strange."

Iruka flinched.

"I thought so," Mizuki said. "Hatake-san's really bothering you."

"No," Iruka said unconvincingly. "Well, sort of. But it's okay. I mean, I'll be okay. Am okay. I am okay." He could never get much past Mizuki. They didn't exactly like each other, but they didn't hate each other, and they were the closest things they each had to a best friend. It was a weird, frenemy kind of friendship, but it was what it was.

"I know he thinks he can pick on you for being the weakest Academy teacher, but that doesn't make it right," Mizuki said. "Strength and skill aren't the only things that matter. I mean, you're so good with the children. And all we have to do is teach them the basics. It's not like anyone actually relies on you to protect the village."

_Are you going to stand in the hallway until I invite you in? You are, aren't you?_ "I'm so sorry," Iruka said. "Please, come in. I don't know why I stood here like this." _It's because I didn't want you to ruin my day off. But that's already been done, so you may as well camp out and eat up my alone time. Great._

"Thanks," Mizuki said.

Iruka stood aside and let Mizuki into his apartment and shut the door. "Would you like anything to drink? Water, tea, beer?"

"You're so considerate," Mizuki said smiling. "I'm okay right now."

They sat in Iruka's tiny living room. It was pretty much just the sofa and the kotatsu table, so they had to sit side by side on the sofa, even though that made Iruka feel weird.

"Did you really come all this way just to check on me?" Iruka asked. "I'm not twelve anymore, you know."

Mizuki smiled. "I know, but you're so delicate. I'm just doing my part in making sure you're taken care of. We're like brothers. I'm the one who made sure you got a job at the Academy, remember? Even though it meant I couldn't teach for a few more years because there were only a limited number of positions available."

"Yes, I remember." Iruka tried not to sound like he was grumbling. _Mizuki brings up how great Mizuki is. Classic_.

"I didn't know what I was going to do with myself, but I knew I had to put you first," Mizuki said, putting an arm around Iruka's shoulders. "After the horrible way you lost your parents, I knew I had to become your family."

Iruka tried to figure out if he could possibly dredge up something sincere to say. "We lost a lot of people that day."

Mizuki's face twisted with rage. "That damned Nine-Tailed Fox. I wish we could murder its container and then kill it."

Iruka had to literally bite his tongue. _That's a little boy you're talking about! Don't be so heartless!_ He didn't want to get into an argument. Especially not with Mizuki's arm around him. "If we contain it, then we never have to fear from it again."

"That's what Sandaime says," Mizuki agreed reluctantly, calming back down. He still seemed irritated. "I still think we should be figuring out a way to kill that hell-fox."

"That's a little above our pay grade," Iruka said.

Mizuki laughed and squeezed Iruka's shoulders. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intimidate you. I know you have your hands full just trying to keep the little brats in line at the Academy."

"And I only have one day off to try to recover my sanity for Monday," Iruka said, hoping Mizuki would get the hint.

"Which is why it's so unfair that Hatake-san's taken it into his head to harass you," Mizuki said.

_You're harassing me_, Iruka retorted privately. "I'm fine. Really. I hadn't been thinking about it at all today. Until you brought it up."

"Sorry! If you want to take your mind off of it, you should take your mind off of it. I was just trying to be a good friend."

Being a good friend seemed to be defined as making Iruka feel worse instead of better, but at the same time, part of Iruka pitied Mizuki for being so inept at social interactions. He stayed Mizuki's friend because if he didn't, Mizuki literally wouldn't have anybody. That hurt Iruka to think about. The loneliness of no longer having a family had almost killed Iruka before Sandaime stepped in. Iruka didn't want anyone to suffer that fate.

"You're right," Mizuki said. "You shouldn't let Hatake-san's low opinion of you hurt you."

Iruka wanted to tell Mizuki that for once, Mizuki had completely misinterpreted the situation, but that would involve giving away both his and Kakashi's secrets. Mizuki was such a terrible gossip. Iruka had figured out years ago whatever he told Mizuki in confidence was bound to come out of Mizuki's mouth at some point, usually at the worst possible time. Mizuki kept apologizing, but Iruka knew it was best not to tell Mizuki any of his secrets anymore. "I haven't."

"You haven't?" Mizuki looked at him searchingly, and for a split second he looked disappointed. "Oh. Well…good."

Iruka wanted to sigh. _Yes, I know you wanted to rush in and play savior again. You're so insecure about our friendship you have to convince yourself that you're my protector._ He'd figured that out a long time, too. The brash, self-important Mizuki reminded him of Naruto's desperate posturing. Except if he ever pointed that out Mizuki would rip his head off for comparing Mizuki to 'Kyuubi's container'. "Thanks for stopping by."

Mizuki finally pulled his arm back. He stood. "Anything for you, Iruka." He smiled sweetly. "We're best friends." And then, seemingly jokingly, he added, "You couldn't live without me."

"Right," Iruka grumbled. He rose to see Mizuki out. "See you tomorrow at the Academy."

"I hope you'll be able to concentrate," Mizuki said.

"I'm fine," Iruka said, yet again.

"Okay. Bye!" Mizuki left and they waved at each other until Mizuki was out of sight, which was customary.

Then Iruka shut the door and collapsed on his sofa with a sigh. _Damn it, Mizuki. Why can't you ever leave well enough alone? At least this time I know my problem is in your head. Kakashi's opinion of me is actually too high, not too low_.

**xXx**

The next day, Iruka entered his tiny office at the Academy and discovered someone had put a bento in his miniature refrigerator. A receipt was on top of it and someone had scribbled For Iruka on it in messy handwriting, clearly done by a cashier or a delivery boy. The receipt didn't say anything except the shop name, location, and price. Whoever had bought his lunch for him had used cash. Iruka irrationally wondered if this was an apology from the ANBU agent who had broken into his apartment. It was more likely a kindness from a senior teacher in order to increase morale.

However, when Iruka asked around, he found he was the only one this had happened to. His fellow teachers ribbed him that one of his students or his students' parents had a crush on him. How the bento ended up in his refrigerator in his office remained to be seen. No one had seen anyone who didn't belong go in or out of Iruka's office. Predictably, the person who gossiped the most and came up with the most theories was Mizuki. After Iruka snapped at him for saying Iruka was having an affair with a student's mother, he backed off.

**xXx**

On Tuesday, Iruka walked into his apartment after school and came face to face with the ANBU agent in the cat mask again.

"Really?" Iruka walked around the man. "I'm going to go take a shower. If you peek I'm pressing charges."

"Senpai won't answer any of my questions," Cat protested.

"That's my problem why?"

"Because I want to know what you are to him! I'm sure you've never met before so why –"

Iruka shut the door to his bedroom. His master bathroom was adjacent and could only be accessed through his bedroom. He pointedly locked his door. Then he let his hair down, stripped off his dirty, sweaty clothes, and took his shower. When he dressed and came back out of his bedroom, he found the ANBU agent in his kitchen, caught in the act of pouring steaming hot water from Iruka's teapot into two cups. The smell of green tea emerged.

Cat turned to face him and set the teapot down on the stove with a cringing, mincing little movement.

Iruka stared. What kind of ANBU agent are you?

"I figured making you some tea is the least I can do," Cat said. "You've had a long day at school."

Iruka wavered between disarmed and wary.

Cat handed him a cup of tea.

Iruka sighed. "You're calling him Sempai. Then he trained you?"

"He helped me," Cat said. "He helped me when no one else would. Or could. Or maybe both." He picked up the cup of tea he'd fixed himself.

"How are you going to drink tea through a mask?" Iruka asked wryly.

"I'm not. You won't recognize my face anyway." Cat pushed up his mask so that it rested on the top of his head.

For a split second, Iruka thought he did know who Cat was. The moment passed, and he was shaken and uneasy. Cat had distinctively large, deep-set eyes, but otherwise he looked very ordinary, and whatever memory Iruka had touched on refused to be recovered under deliberate scrutiny. "Aren't you taking a terrible risk?"

"I know that Sempai doesn't hide his identity well," Cat said. He sipped his tea carefully. "That's why it was so foolish to come back here. With a little thought, you must have identified him. He is ANBU's worst-kept secret. So why did he risk everything to give you a second look at him? He could have let you tell yourself it was your imagination for the rest of your life. You never could have proven anything. But instead, he came back." He paused. "But at least it means Sempai trusts you, and if Sempai trusts you, I do too."

Iruka couldn't help but smile at that.

"Plus, you're an Academy teacher," Cat said. "You're trusted around kids. That takes a lot of security clearance. Sandaime must think very highly of you."

Iruka shrugged. "Sandaime thinks highly of everyone unless they prove him wrong. That's part of what makes him such a…a likeable leader."

"What do you think about people? Do you trust everyone until they prove you wrong?" Cat asked.

Iruka frowned. Cat didn't seem to mean offense, but the question was abrupt and harsh-sounding. Well, he is an ANBU agent. And a young one. I don't think he can be older than me. That's not the youngest agent ever, but it's still…uncomfortably young. His experience means he must have been recruited at…sixteen? Seventeen? He couldn't imagine being in ANBU at any age, especially not as a teenager. "No," he said finally. "Being a teacher means it's difficult to trust. Children are often out to circumvent me. Liking someone isn't the same as trusting them. I like a lot of people. I trust…well…" _No one_.

"You trust Sempai," Cat blurted, filling the silence with his own assumption.

Iruka was a little taken aback. He smiled. "You trust your sempai, don't you?"

"I trust him with my life," Cat said immediately. He took a long sip of his tea and looked at the floor. "I just want to know what's going on. If it's some top secret mission I have a right to know. He is my Sempai. I want to know if he's doing anything dangerous."

Iruka was startled. "You want to protect him so what happened two weeks ago doesn't happen again." He hadn't been thinking about it from that angle.

Cat's hand tightened around the ceramic cup. "Stupid Sempai. Leaving like that and going out on his own was dangerous. He could have been killed. He had no right to order us to go back to the village without him." His voice took on a complaining tone. "He's always doing this, always trying to protect us, even though we're his team. We're supposed to all be protecting each other."

"If I get a chance, I'll speak to him about it," Iruka suggested. He felt sorry for Cat.

Cat's head jerked up, and he looked at Iruka with wide eyes, suddenly seeming innocent and childlike. "Do you think he'll listen to you?"

"I can try," Iruka said in his most reassuring teacher voice.

Cat's expression faded back into its withdrawn, half-lidded contemplation, which seemed to be his usual expression. He sipped his tea. "He won't listen to me. That's for sure. Sempai never listens to me." He finished his tea and set the cup on the counter. "Thanks for listening, Umino-san. And thanks for the tea."

Iruka withheld the comment that Cat had helped himself to the tea; Iruka hadn't offered it. "It's Iruka. Please."

Cat's brow furrowed. Then he smiled. "Alright, whatever you want." He pulled his mask back into place and body flickered out of sight.

Iruka spun, but he couldn't catch his front door opening and closing in time to see where Cat went. "Bye," he said belatedly.

Once Iruka relaxed into the knowledge that he was alone, he dropped onto his sofa and skimmed a magazine. He never watched much TV. TV was his last resort when his brain had been rotted by grading student papers and doing performance reviews. It was too early in the school year to be that burnt out.

His concentration on the article he was reading was lacking. He was concerned to hear that Kakashi was taking unnecessary risks. Everyone knew Kakashi's story: father committed suicide, teammates killed, Yondaime was Kakashi's teacher so Kakashi experienced a double loss of village leader and personal sensei. Iruka didn't really know if Kakashi had a support system. It was difficult to tell if Maito Gai was helping Kakashi or bothering him. Sandaime tried to support everyone's morale, but he was only one man. And now Iruka knew that Kakashi was in ANBU, which was even more punishing and demanding than ordinary service. Maybe that's why he reached out to me.

Iruka wondered what Friday would bring.


End file.
